Electrical power devices, such as high power transistors, are utilized in many systems for many practical applications. For example, such devices may be found in a DC-to-DC converter for electric or hybrid vehicles. In this context, a DC-to-DC converter can be used to convert a relatively high DC battery voltage (e.g., 42 or 300 volts) into a relatively low DC voltage (e.g., 12 volts). In this example application and other practical applications, a number of power devices may be connected in parallel to generate a combined output signal. In operation, the power devices can generate a large amount of heat.
A practical high power device typically includes a thermal plate or case that is designed to manage the heat generated by the device. Finned heat sinks and/or fans are often utilized to cool high power devices via thermal convection techniques. The use of heat sinks and fans can be undesirable in some applications, particularly those that have physical size and/or cost restraints.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have an electrical system for high power devices that is compact in size, has less parts than conventional systems, provides direct cooling of the high power devices, and is of lower cost than conventional systems. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.